Clothesline holder and tightener



HA. THAM ET AL CLOTHESLINE HOLDER AND TIGHTENER Filed Sent. 13 1922 Q B. J. Weaver Y 1 M um Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

PATENT Gyms,

HOWARD A.;THAM'. AND RALTH W EAVER,,OF AKRON, OHIO.

cro'r EsLINn HOLDER AND 'IIGHTENER.

Application filed septeniber' 13; 1922. Serial N0. 587,862;

To all whomit may concern:

Be it 'known'that we, HOWARD A. THAN and RALPH J. WEAVER, citizens of the United States, residing at'Akron, in the county of Summit andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements, in Clothesline Holders andTighteners, of which the following isa' specification.

The present invention relates to a Clothes line holder and tightener, and has for its object to provide a device'ofthis character which embodiesnovel features ofconstruction, whereby it can be readily attached to any support and will engage the clothes line in such a manner that the clothes line can be readily-tightened at any time and maintained in a taut condition.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a clothes line holder and tightener which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, WllCll enables the clothes line or other cable to be quickly-engaged therewith for disengaged therefrom, and which enables any slack in the clothes line or cable to be easily taken up at any time, even though the clothes line may have the clothes hung thereon and be carrying a considerable load at the time.

Vvith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain combina tions and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds,'the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims:

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure I is a side elevation of. a clothes line holder and tightener which is constructed in accordance with the invention, the parts being shown in the position as sumed whenthe device is actually in engagement with a clothes line or cable. I

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectionview through the device;-

Figure 3' 1s atransverse section view on the line' 33 of: Figure 2, looking in'the 0 direction of the arrows;

Figures'i lxand" 5 are detail views showing modified-forms of the ropeengaging ele- Corresponding and likeparts are referred ctorin'the following description: and indicated on all of the views of the drawings by like reference characters.

Referring'to the draWingsIwhich illustrate i one of many possible embodiments of the invention, the numeral 1 designates the body or stock of the supporting frame. The lower end of the stock is bifurcated at 2 to receive a rope clamping member'such as the cam 9 This cam is mounted upon the pine and isformed with a shoulder 5 which engages the base of the bifurcation 2 at the back of the stock to limit the rearward swinging move ment of the cam.

The upper'end of the stock 1 is formed with an integral tang 6 which projects there? from at an'angle of substantially 135 and which is formed with an opening 7 adapted to receive a hook or like member for the purpose-of attaching the device to a suitable support. The tang ordinarily assumes substantiallyhorizontal position, or a position in substantial, alignment with the clothes line which is being stretched. Projectingin theopposite direction from one side of'ithe stockis an integral side plate 8 which'carries a cage 9 within which the pulley 10 is-mounted. This cageincludes an L shaped or angular plate 9 which has a spaced and parallel relation to the side plate 8 and has the arms thereof connected thereto by respective strap members 9? and 9. The strap member 9 has theouter face thereof'arranged in a plane which is sub stantially tangential to the pulley 10 and which has aspaced and parallel relation to the stockl, thereby providing a rope receiving space A whichopens laterally so that a rope can be readilymovedinto or out of the space at anypoint in the length of the rope without the necessity of threadingtthe end of the rope" through the device when applying the ropeor pulling the entire length of the rope through the'device when disengaging the rope. i i

' The i pulley 1O ismounted upon the. pivot pin 11, and the top of the cage or shell 9 :is in substantial alignment. with the upper face of the tango. The upper portion of p l the pulley 10 projects beyond the top of the cage9, and theperiphery of the pulley/is grooved inthe usual manner to receive the clothes line or. rope B. The cam 3 is arranged .di-rectlyopposite the strap 9 of the cage and cooperates therewith .to provide a clamp which automaticallyengages the rope to prevent any backward movement thereof, although the rope can be readily pulled through the device in the opposite direction. The strap S) is shown as provided with a recess 12 which assists in guiding the clothes line through the device and tends to prevent accidental lateral displacement thereof.

when using the device the opening in the tang 6 is adapted to be engaged with a hook B or oth r suital'ile-support, and the rope or clothes line R to be held and stretched is drawn over the top of the pulley and inserted laterally in the rope receiving space A of the frame. The cam 3 is located under the pulley 10 when the device is in operative position. so that a downward pull upon the free end of the rope brings the cable into frictional engagement with the cam 3 and swings the cam downwardly and outwardly. This movement of the cam releases the line orrope R so that a continued pull upon the rope will take up any slack and draw the rope taut. However, throughout this movement the rope is in a frictional engagement with the cam'3 owing to the fact that this cam is arranged in such manner as to remain in contact with the rope when the free end thereof is manipulated and pulled in the usual direction. As soon as the slack has been taken up and the rope is taut, the op erator releases the free end of the rope, whereupon the tension or pull in the rope immediately moves the same the very slight amount backward necessary to bring the cam 3 back into operative position and cause the rope to be gripped between the cam and the strap 9 of the cage. The greater the tension or pull upon the rope the more tightly the rope is gripped by the cam, and the rope is held in a taut condition without any possibility ofslippage. A clothes line can be tightened in this manner even when the clothes have been already hung thereon and it is supporting a considerable load, and there is no danger ofthe clothes being accidently released and the freshly laundered clothes permitted to fall upon the ground.

However. owing to the fact that the rope re ceiving space 8 opens laterally thgoughthe frame. it will be obvious that the rope or clothes line can be readily brought into engagement with the device or disengaged therefrom atany point in the length of the rope or line. The device itself can be readily disengaged from the hook B or like mem her and the clothes line can be almost instantly disengaged from the clamp and pulley, so that there is no loss of time in using the device. and the line can be wound up in the usualmanner when not in use. The device can be taken in when not in use, so that it isnot exposed to the weather atall times and will not become rusted or corroded so as to soil 'theelinev l .A. slight modification is illustrated by Figure 4- in which the rope clamping element is in the form of a roller 15 carried by a shaft 16 which is slidable in slots 17 in the lower end of the stock 1. The slots 17 are inclined with respect to the face of the cage 9, which cooperates with the rollers to grip the rope, so that when the shaft is caused to move downwardly in the slots 17 the roller is moved away from'the cage, thereby releasing the rope. It will be obvious that a downward pull upon the free end of the rope for the purpose of taking up slack in the rope will result in moving the roller 15 downwardly and away from the clamping face of the cage, so that the rope is released and can move through the device in the proper direction. However, as soon as the rope is released the frictional engagement between the rope and the roller will cause the latter to be moved back into its original position and the rope will then be securely clamped between the roller and the clamping face of the cage 9.

A further modification is shown by Figure 5, in which the lower end ofthe stock 1. providedwith a locking slide 18. The slide operates within a groove 19 in the stock, and the path of movement of the slide is at an angle to the rope engaging face of the cage 9, so that when the slide is moved downwardly the rope will be released, although when the slide is moved upwardly it will cooperate with the rope engaging face of the cage to grip the rope. The slide is shown as provided with teeth 18 to facilitate engagement thereof with the rope, and the movements of the slide are limited bya pin 20 which extends transversely through the stock and engages a slot 21 in the slide. When a rope is engaged'with the device, in the manner indicated by Figure 1, any downward pull upon the free end of the rope will result in moving the slide 18 downwardly and releasing the rope so that the rope can be tightened. although any backwardmovenient of the rope will immediately shift the slide back into operative position where it cooperates with the rope engaging face of the cage 9 to grip the rope. i 7

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is.

1. A rope tightener including a' frame formed with a laterally opening rope receiving space, a pulley journaled' upon the frame adjacent to the rope receiving space so that the rope to be tightened can be engaged with the pulley and moved laterallv into the rope receiving space, and a gravity releasable rope clamping member mounted upon the frame for engaging'the rope in the rope receiving space to permit longitudinal movement thereof in one direction and prevent movement thereofin the opposite direction.

2. A rope tightener including a frame formed with a rope receiving space, the frame being provided upon one side of the space with a cage and upon the opposite side of the space with a stock, a pulley journaled in the cage so that a rope can be engaged with the pulley and passed through the rope receiving space, and clamping means mounted upon the stock for clamping the rope against a portion of the cage.

3. A rope tightener including a frame formed with a laterally opening rope receiving space, a cage being provided upon one side of the said space and a stock upon the opposite side of the said space, a pulley journaled in the cage and arranged so that a rope can be engaged with the pulley and moved laterally into the rope receiving space, and a rope engaging clamp mounted upon the stock and adapted to clamp the rope against a portion of the cage.

i. A rope tightener including a frame formed with a side plate carrying a cage and astock member which project laterally therefrom in a spaced relation to provide a laterally opening rope receiving space, a pulley journaled in the cage so that a rope can be engaged with the pulley and moved laterally into the rope receiving space, the face of the stock which is adjacent the pulley being inclined with respect to the direction of the rope being stretched and extending under the pulley, and a rope engaging clamp mounted upon the stock and adapted to clamp the rope against a portion of the cage.

5. A rope tightener including a frame formed with a side plate and with a cage and a stock which project laterally from the said plate in a spaced relation to provide an intervening laterally opening rope receiving space,'a pulley journaled in the cage, one of the sides of the cage having a substantially tangential relation to the pulley and a. substantially parallel relation to the face of the stock on the opposite side of the rope receiving space, and a rope engaging member mounted upon the stock and adapted to clamp the rope against the said side of the cage. I

6. A rope tightener including a rigid frame formed with a side plate and also with a cage and a stock projecting laterally from the side plate in a spaced relation to provide an intervening laterally opening rope receiving space, one end of the frame being formed with a rearwardly projecting tang for connecting the frame to a support, a pulley journaled in the cage so that a rope can be engaged therewith and moved laterally into the rope receiving space, one of the arms of the cage having a substantially tangential relation to the pulley and a substantially spaced and parallel relation to the opposed face of the stock, the said face of the stock being in an angular relation to the rope being stretched and being inclined from the back of the pulley downwardly and forwardly under the same, and a rope engaging clamp at the lower end of the stock cooperating with the beforementioned arm of the cage to permit movement of the rope in one direction and prevent movement thereof in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

HOWARD A. THAM. RALPH J. WEAVER. 

